Barcelona v Real Madrid: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Barcelona have not had long to dwell on their UEFA Champions League exit as they prepare to face Real Madrid in the biggest La Liga game of the season on Sunday.

The Catalan giants played a full part in two brilliant matches against Internazionale, but went out 7-6 on aggregate. There is no time for moping around, though, as they now face rivals Real in a critical league match. 

The fixture is taking place at the Estadi Olímpic Lluis Companys in what Barcelona hope will be the last such meeting at their temporary home before they return to a renovated Camp Nou next season.

With four matches left in the season, Barca lead Madrid by four points, so a win for either side could leave the home side on the brink of their 28th title or see the visitors right back in the running to retain their crown at just one point behind with three matches remaining.

A large part of the reason for the gap between the teams in the table was Barcelona's 4-0 win in their first league meeting of the season at the Bernabeu in October, and Hansi Flick's side have also won two cup meetings with their biggest rivals this season.

Barcelona v Real Madrid betting tips and predictions

Barcelona to win - 9/10

Barcelona couldn't get over the line in their UEFA Champions League semi-final against Inter and while that was a draining experience both physically and mentally for them, nothing could do a better job of refocusing their minds on the task ahead than another meeting with their old rivals Real Madrid.

The most recent encounter between the teams ended in chaos as Antonio Rudiger, Lucas Vazquez and Jude Bellingham were shown red cards after Barca's 3-2 win after extra-time in the Copa del Rey final.

That was the third win for Flick's side over Los Blancos this season after their 4-0 away league win and a 5-2 success on neutral territory in the Spanish Super Cup final after the mid-season break in January.

Madrid had won four Clasico clashes in a row before that, so Barca would love to match that feat and close to within another league title in the process.

Barca's only defeat in 90 minutes in their last 31 matches was a 3-1 UEFA Champions League loss on the road to Borussia Dortmund when they were already 4-0 up from the first leg, so it doesn't seem likely that their defeat in Italy will spark a late-season collapse and cost them another trophy.

Madrid undoubtedly have freshness on their side, as while Barca have played three times since their crazy cup encounter, Carlo Ancelotti's team have been in action only once.

Even so, they were not convincing as they beat Celta Vigo in the league at home last Sunday, hanging on for a 3-2 victory after going 3-0 up in the 48th minute. 

Barca should have few problems raising themselves for another important match, given the motivating factors of a league title and a fierce rivalry and they can extend their winning sequence against Madrid.

Over 4.5 goals - 2/1

The usual goals lines of over 2.5 and over 3.5 barely seem sufficient when considering Barcelona games these days, so target a bigger payout by backing them to be involved in another five-goal thriller against Real Madrid.

Barca have had two 3-3 draws with Inter in their three outings since their last clash with Madrid ended 2-2 after 90 minutes and six goals was the minimum those contests were likely to produce with Barca having nine shots on target in the home game and 10 more in Italy.

The Catalan club's defence is not setting the same high standards, though, and they have conceded nine goals in their last four games.

Madrid remain capable of breaching their rearguard and both teams will be missing key defenders with Jules Kounde out due to a hamstring injury for Barca, while Madrid will be without Antonio Rudiger among others.

Over 7.5 cards - 11/10

With so much bad blood between these teams, the referee should again be busy with players from both teams appearing to see a yellow card against these rivals as a badge of honour.

There had been 'only' six yellow cards in the Copa Del Rey game before the end-of-match shenanigans, but the Super Cup showdown between the pair produced nine yellow cards and a red for Barca keeper Wojciech Szczesny.

The league meeting in Madrid had seen seven yellow cards, five of them to Barca, and a match with eight or more cards looks worth considering with much more at stake this time.

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Barcelona v Real Madrid odds

Barcelona - 9/10
Draw - 27/10
Real Madrid - 11/5

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.